"Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address" - Bill Clinton
Historical Context
April 19, 1995 :Terrorist, Timothy McVeigh, parks truck full of fertilizer (containing ammonium - main ingredient in bombs) in front of the Oklahoma Ferderal Building. Truck exploded killing 188 people in the building, including 19 children. McVeigh was later tried and eventually executed on June 11, 2001.
SPAM
Speaker: President Bill Clinton Purpose: Pay tribute to victims and to build a sense of hope and unity in the country Audience: America, people of Oklahoma, victims' families, Government Medium: Press conference setting with a large audience. Was also televised.
Rhetorical Devices
"We mourn with you. We share your hope against hope that some may still survive. We thank all those who have worked so heroically to save lives and to solve this crime -- those here in Oklahoma and those who are all across this great land, and many who left their own lives to come here to work hand in hand with you. We pledge to do all we can to help you heal the injured, to rebuild this city, and to bring to justice those who did this evil."
Anaphora - Gives a sense of unity and makes Clinton seem like he is one with the people.
"Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let usstand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us, Let us "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Anaphora - Reinforces the idea of "We"
Hortative Sentence - "Let us" We as a country need to come together to get through these hards times
Biblical Allusion - St. Paul
Appeals
Ethos: Clinton is our president and we as American people trust him and need to as guidance through these hard times. Logos: "You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything."
- gives hope that people will get through this and to see the brighter side of things.
Pathos: "terrible sin", "innocent children", "elderly and disabled"
- makes people grasp the severity of this terrible act and inflict a sad, sorrowful emotion on the people.
"Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People" - George W. Bush
Historical Context: September 11, 2001, hijacked American Airlines jets are flown into the towers of the World Trade Center, while a third is crashed into the pentagon. The terrorists were revealed to be the organization of al Qaeda.
SPAM
Speaker: President George W. Bush Purpose: Reaction to the event on 9/11. It redresses the event and instills a sense of civic responsibility in the American people. Audience: American people, world. Medium: Live, Televised. Ability to be viewed over and over again.
Rhetorical Devices
"On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have knownwars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack"
Anaphora - Stresses the past, then brings us to the present
Allusion - "Sunday in 1941." Allusion to Pearl Harbor reminds the American of the terror felt then and makes the situation even more intense.
"Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to live your lives, and hug your children. I know many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat. I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here. ... I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions. ...
The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it. I ask for your patience, with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security; and for your patience in what will be a long struggle. I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy."
Anaphora - "I ask" Bush is pleading with American people to help out in the fight against terrorism by doing these simple things.
Hortative Sentence - Telling people that they should do these things if they expect to make any progress.
Appeals Ethos: Bush, like Clinton, is also the president at the time and has major influence over the people Logos: "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
- Going to make people choose a side, with the obvious one being with America
Pathos: "This is the world's fight", "We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own."
- Gets everyone involved by creating a sense of terror of a worldwide war.
- Makes people feel accomplished for working hard to make the situation easier.
"Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address" - Bill Clinton
Historical ContextApril 19, 1995 :Terrorist, Timothy McVeigh, parks truck full of fertilizer (containing ammonium - main ingredient in bombs) in front of the Oklahoma Ferderal Building. Truck exploded killing 188 people in the building, including 19 children. McVeigh was later tried and eventually executed on June 11, 2001.
SPAM
Speaker: President Bill Clinton
Purpose: Pay tribute to victims and to build a sense of hope and unity in the country
Audience: America, people of Oklahoma, victims' families, Government
Medium: Press conference setting with a large audience. Was also televised.
Rhetorical Devices
"We mourn with you. We share your hope against hope that some may still survive. We thank all those who have worked so heroically to save lives and to solve this crime -- those here in Oklahoma and those who are all across this great land, and many who left their own lives to come here to work hand in hand with you. We pledge to do all we can to help you heal the injured, to rebuild this city, and to bring to justice those who did this evil."
"Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us, Let us "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Appeals
Ethos: Clinton is our president and we as American people trust him and need to as guidance through these hard times.
Logos: "You have lost too much, but you have not lost everything."
- - gives hope that people will get through this and to see the brighter side of things.
Pathos: "terrible sin", "innocent children", "elderly and disabled""Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People" - George W. Bush
Historical Context: September 11, 2001, hijacked American Airlines jets are flown into the towers of the World Trade Center, while a third is crashed into the pentagon. The terrorists were revealed to be the organization of al Qaeda.SPAM
Speaker: President George W. Bush
Purpose: Reaction to the event on 9/11. It redresses the event and instills a sense of civic responsibility in the American people.
Audience: American people, world.
Medium: Live, Televised. Ability to be viewed over and over again.
Rhetorical Devices
"On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack"
"Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to live your lives, and hug your children. I know many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.
I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here. ...
I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions. ...
The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it.
I ask for your patience, with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security; and for your patience in what will be a long struggle.
I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy."
Appeals
Ethos: Bush, like Clinton, is also the president at the time and has major influence over the people
Logos: "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
- - Going to make people choose a side, with the obvious one being with America
Pathos: "This is the world's fight", "We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own."Take the Quiz